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Submitted by Charlie Galea
Making a Ditching
Ditching, the controlled landing of a wheeled aircraft on water, is something which should be given serious thought before any flight which involves such a possibility. At the time there will be very little time to do anything but fly the aircraft, so all preparations must be made in advance. Good passenger briefing is a legal requirement and standard practice before any flight, but extra information is needed before any water crossing. Apart from 'the obvious', which is briefing on security, bracing, exit and survival gear usage, there are other matters to consider beforehand. One must give serious thought to the aircraft layout and passenger seating and what might really happen should one have to land on water.
Should engine problems occur, there is one difference between flight over land and over water. If you get a very sick engine over land, you should not attempt to fly further than the nearest suitable field and land safely before the engine cuts completely. Over water, while preparing for a ditching, any power that the engine can provide should be used to help reach land. Obviously any suspicion of an engine fire should mean an immediate landing is vital.
Given an engine failure over water, all the usual forced landing drills must be carried out to re-start the engine and prepare for a forced landing. In your Mayday, let air traffic know your position by any means possible (VORs, GPS). Landing checks and picking where to ditch are altered. Rather than picking a field, you can pick a ditching point ahead and to one side of a small or medium sized ship. Note that large ships take too long to stop and maneuver.
Assuming ditching is inevitable, think what is likely to happen. If you have a fixed undercarriage, it is very likely that the aircraft will tip forward. Usually a retractable should be ditched with wheels up - consult the POH. In either case, deceleration will be rapid, and the nose can dip below water. It is very likely that the persons on board will be pitched forwards, so protective measures such as checking straps and bracing should be learned before flight. The last thing needed immediately after a ditching is an unconscious passenger!
Landing should ideally be on the top of, or just along the back of, any sea swell ridge, parallel to the swell line, at the minimum ground speed without actually stalling in. This swell line unfortunately may well not coincide with an into wind direction, so the optimum speed and heading have to be judged to the actual conditions. The worst place to ditch is in front of any swell or large wave.
Whatever happens, statistics show that the odds of surviving the ditching are pretty good - even better with some real pre-planning. Once successfully ditched, the problem now is surviving until help arrives. Although the aircraft may be floating this won't last for long. You need to get out. Do NOT inflate your lifejacket until you're clear of the aircraft.
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